University of Georgia Athletics
Receiving Corps Loaded With Potential
August 06, 2017 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
UGAAA Staff Writer
We all know who can run the ball on the Georgia football team: the Bulldogs have a wealth of riches in the backfield. We know who can throw it, too, after Jacob Eason's solid freshman season in 2016.
We also know some guys that can catch it — namely wideout Terry Godwin and tight end Isaac Nauta, the Dogs' top returning receivers with a combined 67 grabs last season — but who in the receiving corps will be the best and most dangerous weapons in 2017, that's an unknown that's being explored this preseason. The good news is that there appear to be a lot of different options.
During Georgia's fan day at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, when the public and media alike got to watch the Dogs conduct a full practice, the receivers (to the non-coaching eye, at least) had a good day. The veterans like Godwin looked sharp and some of the new wideouts, like Mecole Hardman and Ahkil Crumpton, showed great potential as explosive weapons.
They made catches while well covered, effectively creating space away from their defenders, and got free well down field. It was on the good plays in the passing game that the few thousand in attendance, most of them hiding from the sun anywhere they could, cheered with enthusiasm.
Isaiah McKenzie led the Bulldogs in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches last season, finishing with 44 grabs for 633 yards and seven scores. McKenzie, who turned pro after his junior year, was likely a surprise to many as Georgia's top target.
The season before, in 2015, Malcolm Mitchell led the Dogs his senior year with 58 catches for 865 yards, with Godwin second on the team (35 catches, 379 yards) during a fruitful freshman year. Another very productive pass-catcher the past two seasons. Â Running back Sony Michel, with 26 grabs in 2015 and 22 last season.
During his session with the media Saturday morning, offensive coordinator Jim Chaney said Michel could be a big part of the passing game again.
"That remains to be seen," Chaney said of the versatile running back's role. "We don't know yet on the systematic part of it. I think Sony has very good hands, and has the ability to do that, to catch and do stuff. Will we do that? It's probably going to depend on the opponent if we feel like we can gain a strategic advantage."
The departure of McKenzie not only left a hole in the receiving corps, he was also one of the greatest return men in school history. The late addition of the junior college transfer Crumpton could pay big dividends on returns and possibly the passing game, as well. Crumpton looked like a speedy and shifty slot option during Saturday's practice.
Chaney said he's heard good things from the coaches about Crumpton on returns, but beyond that at this point he mostly just knows the 5-foot-9, 175-pound Crumpton (a little bigger than McKenzie) "has good hands and good speed. Who knows yet? That remains to be seen, but he can catch and he can run, so that's a damn good place to start."
It feels wrong to get this far into this without mentioning the 6-2, 200-pound Riley Ridley, who has as much potential as any Bulldog receiver. Ridley's 47-yard go-ahead touchdown catch from Eason with 10 seconds left against Tennessee last season would be the stuff of Bulldog legend were it not for what happened in the final seconds, but it was still a stellar play.
Nauta (6-4, 246) was third on the team with 29 catches for 361 yards and Ridley was sixth, finishing with 12 for 238, and a team-best 19.8 yards per catch average. If Ridley and Eason can both take their games up a few notches as sophomores, they could form a very special combo, one that gives Georgia some consistent explosiveness in the passing game that hasn't been there for a while.
During SEC Media Days, Ridley's older brother Calvin, Alabama's star receiver, said he was hoping for big things from his brother.
"He can definitely be as good as me. He is definitely as good as me," he told reporters, also saying, "I expect him to have a really great season, win the Heisman or something — do something really great. I don't really care, I just want him to play real well."
A lot of folks thought the 5-11, 185-pound Godwin would be the top target last season after his strong first season. He was still very effective, catching 38 passes for 397 yards, but he wasn't the playmaker that McKenzie became — McKenzie went from 10 catches in 2015 to 44 last season.
"He's got some of the best hands and judgment I've ever seen on a receiver," coach Kirby Smart said of Godwin before Saturday's practice.
It remains to be seen what kind of weapon Godwin will be this fall, but there's no doubt that he's a very valuable component in the Dogs' passing attack. One of many in a group that is getting bigger, faster and more explosive.
UGAAA Staff Writer
We all know who can run the ball on the Georgia football team: the Bulldogs have a wealth of riches in the backfield. We know who can throw it, too, after Jacob Eason's solid freshman season in 2016.
We also know some guys that can catch it — namely wideout Terry Godwin and tight end Isaac Nauta, the Dogs' top returning receivers with a combined 67 grabs last season — but who in the receiving corps will be the best and most dangerous weapons in 2017, that's an unknown that's being explored this preseason. The good news is that there appear to be a lot of different options.
During Georgia's fan day at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, when the public and media alike got to watch the Dogs conduct a full practice, the receivers (to the non-coaching eye, at least) had a good day. The veterans like Godwin looked sharp and some of the new wideouts, like Mecole Hardman and Ahkil Crumpton, showed great potential as explosive weapons.
They made catches while well covered, effectively creating space away from their defenders, and got free well down field. It was on the good plays in the passing game that the few thousand in attendance, most of them hiding from the sun anywhere they could, cheered with enthusiasm.
Isaiah McKenzie led the Bulldogs in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches last season, finishing with 44 grabs for 633 yards and seven scores. McKenzie, who turned pro after his junior year, was likely a surprise to many as Georgia's top target.
The season before, in 2015, Malcolm Mitchell led the Dogs his senior year with 58 catches for 865 yards, with Godwin second on the team (35 catches, 379 yards) during a fruitful freshman year. Another very productive pass-catcher the past two seasons. Â Running back Sony Michel, with 26 grabs in 2015 and 22 last season.
During his session with the media Saturday morning, offensive coordinator Jim Chaney said Michel could be a big part of the passing game again.
"That remains to be seen," Chaney said of the versatile running back's role. "We don't know yet on the systematic part of it. I think Sony has very good hands, and has the ability to do that, to catch and do stuff. Will we do that? It's probably going to depend on the opponent if we feel like we can gain a strategic advantage."
The departure of McKenzie not only left a hole in the receiving corps, he was also one of the greatest return men in school history. The late addition of the junior college transfer Crumpton could pay big dividends on returns and possibly the passing game, as well. Crumpton looked like a speedy and shifty slot option during Saturday's practice.
Chaney said he's heard good things from the coaches about Crumpton on returns, but beyond that at this point he mostly just knows the 5-foot-9, 175-pound Crumpton (a little bigger than McKenzie) "has good hands and good speed. Who knows yet? That remains to be seen, but he can catch and he can run, so that's a damn good place to start."
It feels wrong to get this far into this without mentioning the 6-2, 200-pound Riley Ridley, who has as much potential as any Bulldog receiver. Ridley's 47-yard go-ahead touchdown catch from Eason with 10 seconds left against Tennessee last season would be the stuff of Bulldog legend were it not for what happened in the final seconds, but it was still a stellar play.
Nauta (6-4, 246) was third on the team with 29 catches for 361 yards and Ridley was sixth, finishing with 12 for 238, and a team-best 19.8 yards per catch average. If Ridley and Eason can both take their games up a few notches as sophomores, they could form a very special combo, one that gives Georgia some consistent explosiveness in the passing game that hasn't been there for a while.
During SEC Media Days, Ridley's older brother Calvin, Alabama's star receiver, said he was hoping for big things from his brother.
"He can definitely be as good as me. He is definitely as good as me," he told reporters, also saying, "I expect him to have a really great season, win the Heisman or something — do something really great. I don't really care, I just want him to play real well."
A lot of folks thought the 5-11, 185-pound Godwin would be the top target last season after his strong first season. He was still very effective, catching 38 passes for 397 yards, but he wasn't the playmaker that McKenzie became — McKenzie went from 10 catches in 2015 to 44 last season.
"He's got some of the best hands and judgment I've ever seen on a receiver," coach Kirby Smart said of Godwin before Saturday's practice.
It remains to be seen what kind of weapon Godwin will be this fall, but there's no doubt that he's a very valuable component in the Dogs' passing attack. One of many in a group that is getting bigger, faster and more explosive.
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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